Munich Airport – “Best Airport in Europe 2014”

Company Profile

Munich Airport was voted Europe´s best airport at the 2014 World Airport Awards and acieved an outstanding third position in the global rankings. This year's edition of the Skytrax survey set a new record with more than 13 million respondents.

General informationWith a throughput of around 39 million passengers every year Munich Airport is the second-busiest airport in Germany. Passengers arrive here from 223 destinations in approximately 62 countries. More than 150 stores and retail outlets make the airport a shopping paradise. Before take-off or after landing, passengers can shop for brands such as Bogner, Boss, Max Mara, Gucci, Escada and Hermès. It’s worth a trip even if you’re not flying! The airport also excels when it comes to food and drinks, and boasts the world’s first and only airport brewery – Airbräu. In addition, a wide range of events takes place at the airport every year – from surfing championships in summer to the airport Christmas market in winter.

Service nonstop“Service nonstop” is the impassioned goal of Munich Airport’s authorities. With a clear signage and user-friendly layout, passengers find their way quickly and easily around Munich Airport. Special transit screens at the arrival gates display connections relevant to the arriving passengers. For literally nonstop service, general service centers in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are open 24-hours to serve the passengers with almost anything they require – such as luggage storage, dry cleaning, travel health insurance, lost and found, fax service or ticket sales for public transportation. Furthermore, Internet points, free wireless LAN, a child day care, baby changing facilities and showers are included in the airport’s comprehensive service portfolio. In both Terminals and the Munich Airport Center new InfoGate counters provide personal support via video conference.

Products

Shopping – From Aigner to ZegnaGermany’s second-largest hub is a shopping paradise. More than 150 renowned Munich retailers interspersed among top worldwide brands create a unique blend of international flair and local color. Alongside the well-stocked Travel Value and Duty Free shops, elegant shops present an unparalleled shopping experience. And despite the strict regulations on shopping hours in Germany, which keep retailers’ doors shut in the evenings and all day Sunday, the shops at Munich Airport are open seven days a week some from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm. At Munich Airport shoppers will find down-town prices which make shopping even more attractive –also for the local visitors.

TAX RefundHow to get your refund: The VAT Rate in Germany is 19%. It can be reclaimed when exporting the goods.

For check-in baggage:Check in at one of the counters and have your baggage labeled. Proceed to the customs office with the baggage. Customs will check your merchandise, stamp your receipts and handle your baggage. With the tamped receipts, proceed to the Cash Refund Desk to receive your refund.

For carry-on baggage:Check in and pass security and passport control. Afterwards, proceed to the customs office to have your merchandise checked. With the stamped receipts, proceed to the Cash Refund Desk. You can also get your refund at the ReiseBank Central Area and Terminal 2, Level 05.

Useful applications for passengers

MUC Airport app for iPhonesMUC Airport is the official iPhone app for Munich Airport. Available online at the Apple Store, it offers a wealth of information on flights, shopping and dining as well as useful tips to make your stay at MUC a more pleasant experience. To find the app and download it free of charge to your iPhone, search for "Flughafen München", "Munich Airport", or "MUC" in the Apple App Store.

InfoGateIn Terminal 1 and the Munich Airport Center (MAC) and now also in Terminal 2 interactive InfoGate counters are equipped with a touch-screen and a high-resolution camera, as well as a printer and a ticketing-system. Passengers may speak directly with airport staff via video conference. An integrated scanner may be used to digitalize documents placed on the display, and service personnel can even write comments on the documents before printing them. Additionally, by simply holding the boarding card up to any of several InfoGate interactive-display monitors passengers can quickly find the shortest way to their gates.

Napcabs - sleeping cabinsPassengers with time between flights or layovers can now try a new concept, developed by Munich Airport: Napcab sleeping cabins are a perfect way of finding some privacy and beating jetlag. These innovative pods have a comfortable bed to get some sleep or just relax until departure time, with music and the lighting set to the desired level. There is also a small desk and free Internet access.

The Napcabs are located in the non-public area of Terminal 2:

Level 04, near gate G06

Level 05, near gate H32

Group Offers

Route Proposal: Jewels of Romantic EuropeUnder the slogan “Jewels of Romantic Europe”, tourism partners of Bavaria (Germany) and Tirol (Austria) jointly promote the year-round holiday destinations and have a designed wonderful 7-day-tour.

Day 1 Arrival at Munich AirportTransfer to city centre of MunichOvernight in Munich

Barrier-free Travel

Barrier-free airportFor passengers with reduced mobility, Munich Airport offers individual care from check-in area to aircrafts, from aircrafts to the arriving area or from aircrafts to aircrafts (transfer passengers).

Munich Airport is disabled friendly and offers a wide range of services to assist passengers with disabilities.

A tactile guidance system with floor markings is in place to help blind and visually impaired passengers find their way. Entryways at levels 03 and 04 have raised relief panels with information in Braille describing the way to the special needs desk and also the main information desk in the Munich Airport Center (level 03) has an information board in Braille.

Wheelchairs: Munich Airport lends out wheelchairs free of charge at all information desks in the departure areas, at the main information desk in the Munich Airport Center and in the special service lounges in Terminal 2. Of course all building entry and exit points and interior doorways are wheelchair and disabled-friendly as well as the elevators for easy access between floors and the washrooms.

At the Medical center in Terminal 1, Arrival Area E (Level 03) doctors and paramedics are available to help you 24 hours a day.

Experience the Airport:Take a walk to the visitors’ terrace or discover the many exciting attractions of MUC’s Visitors Park, even a 18-hole mini-golf course awaits you. At the iPilot flight simulator you can get a realistic impression of flying.

Social Commitment / Green Travel

Environmental protectionEnvironmental protection has top priority at Munich Airport. The construction of an airport inevitably leads to interventions in the ecosystem of a region. Yet, Munich Airport is committed minimizing such impact. To this end it has created a department to handle ecological issues such as aircraft noise, air management, and energy supply or waste and water management. Munich Airport has set itself the goal of achieving its growth targets on a carbon-neutral basis by 2020 compared to the baseline year 2005.

Munich Airport’s pro-environment strategy allows for the operation and development of the airport in a manner that effectively controls and contains environmental impact and complies with statutory regulations and environmental requirements. For example, Munich Airport generates more than half of the power needed in an on-site combined heat, power and cooling plant. The outstanding efficiency of this form of energy conversion allows the airport to save around 30,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually.

As part of this project, Munich Airport is currently running 115 vehicles on a diesel / vegetable oil mix and a further 39 on bio-ethanol. The airport also classifies aircraft according to the noise levels measured during takeoff and landing operations. Aircraft in the lowest noise category pay landing fees eight times lower than those classed as the noisiest.

Miscellaneous

VipWingLuxurious VIP facilities are available at Munich Airport. The VipWing presents a unique blend of international ambience combined with traditional Bavarian hospitality. The bright, spacious rooms in the lounge have a total area of 1,200 square meters. Regardless of seating class or carrier, passengers at Munich Airport seeking individual and exclusive service can book and have access to a wide range of VIP services. Chauffeured limousines shuttle the guests in luxury from and to the aircraft. The lounge is staffed by multilingual representatives and offers airport guests all-round support. Personal assistants can organize all the traveler's flight-related processes and formalities such as immigration support, check-in, baggage-handling, tax refund and customs clearance while guests relax in the VIP Lounge. Facilities at the VipWing also include a fully equipped conference suite which may be booked in advance.

Meet & Assist ServicePassengers who desire a personal escort can pre-book Munich Airport’s “Meet & Assist Service”. With this service, staff of Munich Airport will accompany passengers at the airport and help them find their way. Whether upon arrival, before departure, or while waiting for a connecting flight, the service can be tailored to the passengers’ individual needs. The service generally begins at the door of the aircraft or the entrance to the terminal. The guest is then accompanied through the various checkpoints (security, passport control and customs), to the connecting flight, the lounge or to the arrival area.